Tag: Maka

When speaking of raw authenticity within the circuit of Massachusetts music, it’d be difficult not to include Boston rapper BoriRock in the conversation. Since coming on to my radar last year with the music video for “La Vida”, BoriRock has developed a truly dominant artistic presence. His ability to portray Boston street life through his raps is second to none, and as time has progressed he’s successfully pieced together a formidable catalog of music like no other.

“MOSHPIT” is the latest component of this musical catalog, which features a verse from Coke Boyz-affiliate Swipey. Cambridge’s Maka was responsible for the production on this single, and while he’s typically known for his more tropical/soothing sound, “MOSHPIT” serves as proof that he’s capable of making hard-hitting drill beats as well.

While the song itself is already well-done, Henry McGowan truly outdid himself here with respect to the direction of this music video. Each word that BoriRock utters comes attached with a sense of regality, and this sentiment is represented perfectly as he raps with Massachusetts casino Encore as his backdrop. If this is the first time you’re hearing of BoriRock, I strongly urge you to dive deeper into his discography, as “MOSHPIT” is merely the tip of the iceberg with respect to the amount of solid music he has within his discography.

Returning to the Graduation Music site today with the release of his first music video is Cambridge’s Maka.

“Live In Boston” served as Maka’s debut rap release which hit the streets more than a year ago. Circulating around the monetary motivation that pushes both Maka and his peers, this track is living proof of just how much of a multi-faceted artist he is. Known for his watery, unpredictable flows that take over the mindset of the listener, “Live In Boston” is a wondrous combination of Maka’s usual style and rapping capabilities. Be on the lookout for what he has next to come.

Watch the official music video for “Live In Boston” at the link below:

Mixing his watery flows with indulgent lyrics, Maka’s 2019 has already come paired with some of his best music to date. BBJ laces him with some incredible production on this track — relaying a determined, animated feeling that truly captures the listener. As usual, Maka glides atop the production as he casts a relentless positive energy throughout the entirety of the song. This one is really special, so make sure to give the Cambridge artist your undivided attention.

It isn’t everyday that you’re blessed with music that possesses the ability to uplift your entire spirit, but this is exactly the case with “Animal House”. Connis has steadily made a name for himself throughout the state of Massachusetts via masterful additions to his discography, and has recently been branching out and lending his production talents to other local artists. It’s safe to say that he hit this one out of the park, with Maka gracefully surfing atop the well-tooled instrumental whilst giving listeners some perspective towards his current mindset.

“Animal House” circulates around Maka’s cannibalistic attitude that he has going into this year. There’s only one thing on his mind and that’s developing into the best version of himself. Instead of looking around to see what his peers are up to, Maka’s determined to overcome anyone (or anything) that dares to get in-between him and his dreams. In addition to the lyrical content of this release, the sonic structure is simply unparalleled — making “Animal House” one of the most impactful songs to come out of Massachusetts up to this point in the year.

Framingham’s Jymmy Kafka makes his debut onto the Graduation Music site today with a heartfelt anthem titled “Still There”. Categorized as “villainous gospel” by the young rapper, this release is one of the most potent within his musical catalog — which already contains a vast amount of depth as is.

“Still There” circulates around the desire to know who’s really in your corner through thick and thin. All parties that had a hand in the making of this track have been grinding relentlessly towards the fulfillment of their dreams, yet long for the ability to be able to share their successes with someone else. Something that many creatives throughout the world experience on a daily basis, “Still There” is a reminder that you’re not alone.

“Said at the end of the night, don’t wanna walk alone // who is still standing? who is still there?”

Maka – “Still There”

Featured on this release is Maka, who’s feel-good vocals add an additional layer of life to this song that generates an incredible amount of replay value. Known for a more island-rooted sound, this release serves as a wondrous switch-up in his typical style. Rilla Force was the man in charge of production here, and once again showcases why he’s one of the go-to producers within the state of Massachusetts. All-in-all this release is simply unflawed, so direct your full attention towards Jymmy Kafka as he’s poised to gain some real traction in MA this year.

Hailing from Cambridge, Massachusetts — Rothstein is an exhilarating force within the Bay State’s music scene. Over the past few years, he’s been busy filling-up his discography with passionate, heart-wrenching music that encapsulates the essence of some of the most prominent moments of his life.

Graduation Music recently spoke with the exceptional artist in order to gain some insight into what makes him the individual that he is. Check out the interview below:

ORIGINS

To begin, when did you start making music?

I started in high school with my best friend Raf. He used to chop samples & mix vocals in ACID; he’d been toying with it since we were in middle school. Raf is actually still my engineer.

Who were some of your early inspirations, both musically and non-musically speaking?

My dad is a drummer & he plays mostly jazz so it was mostly that from him. My mom always played me this gorgeously wimpy singer / songwriter folk-pop stuff from the 70s. My cousin always put me on with the heady indie shit the cool, artsy older kids were listening to. All of my friends listened to hip hop — that’s my first love, the lens through which I view all of my music — even the stuff that sounds nothing like it.

CAMBRIDGE

How has Cambridge molded you as a person?

Growing up in Cambridge didn’t make me weird, but it helped. Diversity is a fact of life there — of race, of sexual orientation, of class, of taste, of cuisine, of culture. It also engendered in me a special hatred for a certain kind of New England prep school frat boy WASPism, a love for a certain shitty brand of iced coffee and an unshakeable coldness of demeanor.

Why is being from Cambridge important to you?

It is and it isn’t — I’m very proud to be from a city as progressive, as strange and as undeniably good at ball as Cambridge. On the other hand, I’ve always lived in my own little world. That’s where most of my music takes place. I love Cambridge mostly for the people. Many of them have since dispersed, but I made lifelong friendships there with some of the weirdest and brightest people you could hope to meet.

Can you speak on your decision to move away from Cambridge to further your career?

I didn’t leave Cambridge to further my career — I left Cambridge to start it. I was 20 when I moved to New York; I had dropped out of college after a year of absolute fuckery and was living in my mom’s apartment in Cambridge, writing songs and moping. My friend Taylor had just opened a tiny little menswear boutique in Williamsburg and he offered me a bed upstairs if I’d run the shop with him, leave MA and attempt to make a career of my music instead of remaining a sad sack of shit. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Cambridge is a wonderful place but it’s where I grew up, and growing up is hell. When I came back after dropping out, all it represented to me was failure.

Describe Cambridge in one word.

Collage.

MUSIC

What do you want listeners to take-away from your music?

I want them to be moved. I want them to hear, articulated in simple terms, the things they could never quite put into words. I want them to be awash in imagery. I want them to feel something.

In your opinion, why is self-expression important?

Expression is important to me because we’ve turned this innately selfish thing into a means to relate to one another — to alleviate the sorrow and loneliness and apathy and guilt and pain that come with being human. It’s given me purpose and joy, and the fact that I get to live off it is still fucking surreal to me.

How was your journey towards becoming comfortable enough to put your real life experiences into your music? Was this something that felt natural to you or did it take time to develop?

Writing was always therapy so I’ve always been more open in song than I am in real life. I’ve always been a storyteller, and I’ve always felt like an outsider, so I think I’m particularly conscious of what experiences of mine people relate to. I’m lucky to be dating a woman who can listen to scathing songs about her or wistful songs about exes without batting an eye. I’m lucky to be the child of a mother who can listen to my war stories without judgement and tell me what she likes about the songwriting. Even if it made everyone uncomfortable though, I’d still write this shit. It’s for me.

What was the process of obtaining your stylistic elements like?

I think it went for me the way it goes for most — imitate your idols until you learn all their tricks, then put said tricks (and whatever tricks you got of your own) to use to make something truly your own. I used to try and rap like Ka over dusty lo-fi beats. I heard House of Balloons and did my best Abel impression for like a year. I always had a very distinctive way of writing lyrics, but it all came together just over 2 years ago when I wrote a song that changed my life and helped me define my voice for good. I’ve been on autopilot ever since.

When making a song, what’s the setting typically like? Are there any specific people that help facilitate a better music-making experience?

These guys make the experience what it is. Raf and I have been doing this forever and his patience knows no limits. He’s a phenomenal engineer and without him there’s no Rothstein. Fallen is the best guitar player in the world — this dude has played for J Balvin, Liam Payne, Rita Ora, just tons of fucking people. He’s my secret weapon. Gabe is the only guy down to stay up and work till the morning with me. He executive produced my upcoming album PARADISE, and I think he’s one of the best producers working right now. DOC is a hit machine, probably the purest producer I’ve ever met. Elijah is someone whose affable genius inspires awe in everyone he meets. He’s the one who wanders into the room, lays keys or backing vocals and completely transforms a song, then he’s gone in 15 minutes. Ricky is going to be the greatest producer out of Cambridge ever. With these guys all within 15 minutes of home, I can’t lose.

How would you describe your music?

My music is like if Raymond Carver wrote R&B songs. It’s like if James Blake and Future raised a depressive child who painted his nails black and started using early in life. I have so much fun making these comparisons but it’s hard to know exactly what to say because my music sounds exactly like me, and it really doesn’t sound enough like anyone else to warrant comparison. I’m making my favorite shit in the world right now.

In your opinion, what’s the ideal setting for listening to your music?

If you are listening to Rothstein you should be wiping frozen tears from your face with a designer handkerchief while you speed down the Mass Pike, heartbroken and desperate, driven only by the desire to dispatch your remaining enemies.

Who are your favorite artists from Massachusetts?

Gabe Gill is my favorite artist in MA. Gabe is a boy genius future pop star from Northampton; his music sounds like Matchbox 20 on acid and his writing is some of the best there is. He’s got so much to say, such beautiful ways of saying it, such vision and passion and empathy, such effervescent swag. I can’t say enough about that kid.

I’ve been listening to a number of acts from home — Maka is a unicorn in a scene overpopulated with clones, a well of originality and joyful escapism. I listen to his music all the time. Connis is the best rapper in the state and it’s not even really all that close. His upcoming album is very special. TeaMarrr is making really cool, personal R&B and she owns any stage she touches. Dutchy DoBad, Jiggz and 7891 Kal are making high quality street music. Honeyfitz is like a badass Conor Oberst. Stizz inspired me (and everyone else) a great deal and made an album that I think of as our First Classic Record (I got Maka down for the second one with Waterworld). Gogo is a problem. Los Elk have been going crazy… I know I’m missing plenty of names here but MA has a lot going on man, I’m excited to see what the future holds.

2018

Which 2018 release of yours was your favorite?

It’s either “A Million” or “Endless Winter Freestyle”. They’re very different songs but they’re both kind of State of the Union moments for me — whereas most of my music is story driven and imagery driven and very much wrapped up in relationships with other people, those 2 are moments where I break the fourth wall and just talk my shit for a minute.

Can you describe the feelings you experienced surrounding the release of your debut album, HIGH WATER?

I made most of HIGH WATER in 2016 so it was a massive relief to finally get it off. I make a whole lot of music so I’d already moved all the way on by the time it was released but watching fans hear it for the first time renewed my excitement for it and hearing “High Tide” play in an episode of network TV was totally surreal. The release show was a moment for me too; it was my first New York headliner at a venue I actually really wanted to play at. That shit was beautiful man. My band is superb and these guys helped me give the kind of show you can’t get just from listening to the record and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do.

Last year was an incredibly successful one for you, racking in over a million plays and 126K+ monthly listeners on Spotify. Do you feel like this has changed your perspective at all, or do you still feel the same as you always have?

I’m very grateful but nowhere near satisfied.

For the younger artists out there, do you have any tips pertaining to how they too can grow their listenership?

First, you have to be yourself. Then you have be good, but that matters a lot less. Don’t get into this to make money; get a job, reinvest your earnings, pay the people you work with fairly, surround yourself with good art, be persistent. Understand that nobody owes you anything and everyone wants something from you- be useful, be quiet, work hard, make something beautiful.

What was your biggest lesson from last year?

I used to internally justify my pain / isolation / bad habits / depression / drug use / antisocial behavior with the “it’s all part of Being An Artist, man” thing and I gave that up this past year. I don’t need to suffer to be great. I don’t need to be lonely to be great.

2019 & ON

What’s next for Rothstein?

If this year were an episode of Friends it would be The One Where Roth Drops All The Music. I’ve been writing a lot of music for other artists, and it’ll be exciting to see that all finally exist outside of my head. With any luck you might hear some of those on the radio this year; these guys are heavy hitters and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to help them fulfill their visions. I’ve got a lot of my own on the way this year too- next up is LET ME DOWN EASY, a short EP with Fallen on production. Then it’s DEADMALL + ROTHSTEIN, with Gabe Gill & Honeyfitz. After that, I got 2 singles Ricky Sour & I produced (one of which features Radamiz, who, aside from being one of my only true Artist Friends in this shit, is very possibly the best rapper alive). Then it’s finally time for PARADISE, my album, my best work yet. When I drop these, they’ll tell you more than I could ever hope to say here. I hope you dance.

Maka and Durkin grace the Graduation Music pages once again, this time with a highly-listenable offering titled “Forward”. The first release from the duo in 2019, “Forward” is a sonically-pleasing reminder to keep pushing forward no matter what may occur.

Maka and Durkin have had quite the history with one another, releasing two projects and a string of singles that have proved to be some of the best releases out of the state of Massachusetts in recent years. Their first piece of work together since Waterproof (2018), “Forward” is a tell-tale sign of the successes that are to come from Maka and Durkin as the year unfolds.

“Forward” revolves around Maka’s decision to move forward in his life at all costs. He details some of the tumultuous events that he’s been forced to endure in his life as of late, however, refuses to let this negativity drag him off the path towards his destiny. Maka understands the fact that the world will continue moving no matter what, and he’s not prepared to get left behind whatsoever. As the cover art depicts, “Forward” quite literally feels like a stroll along the beach as a storm ensues. With distraction and risk surrounding us completely, we must make the decision to keep moving gracefully as if all is well. This is the only way that we’ll see our true potential face-to-face, and it appears to be something that Maka understands exceptionally well.

Maka and Durkin have successfully blessed listeners with a potent release once again. As the pair continue to work side-by-side, their chemistry only seems to be growing stronger. Be sure to keep them on your radar in 2019.